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The immediate past chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has asked Nigerians not to vote for the two major political parties in the country, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party( PDP), in the 2023 general elections.
In an interview with BBC Hausa Service on Monday, Jega, a professor of political science, said the two major political parties are like siamese twins noted for corruption.
He said Nigerians should dump the two parties because of their bad antecedents over the last 20 years, urging electorate to look for a credible alternative.
“Looking at their inability to change the economic fortunes of Nigeria for 20 years now, it is now apparently clear that they would not do anything even if Nigerians vote for any of the two parties again.
“With the bad things these parties have committed in those past years, Nigerians should never give their trust to the parties again. It is now very clear that these parties would never change, even if they are given another chance.
“The APC and PDP have formed governments, we were all witnesses. They did not come with a good intention to make amends. If you look at the fight against corruption, all these corrupt people that were supposed to be prosecuted, sneaked into the APC.
“We are hearing nothing. That is why I’ve since registered with the Peoples Redemption Party( PRP). I am now a PRP member looking for ways to help Nigeria.
“That is why we believe now is the time to establish a platform where every good Nigerian should join and contribute towards building the nation on the right path,” he said.
The former INEC boss also stated that the two major political parties have destroyed everything and had made the parties so stigmatised that whichever good person joins the parties would be considered like them.
Jega also alleged that it was a lack of good leadership in Nigeria that threw the nation into its current problems, which have led to the series of agitations for the country to be balkanised.
“Since 1979, I’ve been teaching in the university, for 40 years now. So, from what I read and observed, when I was Chairman of INEC, honestly the way I see our politicians conducting elections and from the manner they represent their people when elected, honestly, it is something to be afraid of,” he added.